Nagpur: Some members of India’s T20 squad kickstarted their preparations for the upcoming five-match series against New Zealand at the New VCA Stadium, the venue set to host the opening game on January 21, in Nagpur on Sunday. The series will be India’s final assignment in the format before their Men’s T20 World Cup title defence begins on February 7.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Sanju Samson were among those who turned out for the optional practice session on Sunday.
Seam-bowling all-rounder Hardik Pandya skipped the optional training session and could turn out in the practice to be held under lights on Monday. “The members of India’s T20I team turned up for an optional practice session from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm, which was focused on their fitness and skill training.
“They also have another practice session from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm on Monday, and it could be possible that Hardik may turn up for this one. The rest of the members of the India T20I team currently playing the ODI in Indore are expected to arrive in Nagpur on Monday afternoon, as will the New Zealand team,” said a Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) official to IANS on Sunday.
After the game in Nagpur, India and New Zealand will play the rest of the T20I matches on January 23 at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur, January 25 at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati, January 28 at the ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam, and January 31 at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.
India recently drafted leg-spinner Bishnoi and middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer into the squad in place of Washington Sundar (side strain) and Tilak Varma (lower abdomen surgery). Iyer will be available only for the first three matches of the series, with an expectation that Varma will become fit to play the last two games.
The two sides are currently involved in a three-match ODI series with the third game being played in Indore on Sunday.
(IANS)
